The Cinema
by dr100
Summary: School has finished for the weekend and the team visit the cinema. Luke however has homework and is unable to go. It is at the cinema that things get out of control, leading to the materialisation of the Doctor. What could his arrival mean for the whole of Ealing, and will Sarah Jane Smith be pleased?
1. Chapter 1

**The Cinema**

**Written by Nathan Mullins**

**Chapter 1**

It was 3:00pm. School had finished. Rani was waiting for her friends by the school gates. Clyde appeared next to her, shaking his head. His hands were clasped on his knees, as he struggled to catch his breath.

"What's up with you?" she asked, glaring at him, strangely.

Had had ran to catch her just in time, thinking she was about to head off. But little did he know that she was waiting for him and Luke, and thought they were still in class.

"Just a little breathless," he replied, straightening up. "I'm running now," he lied.

"You?" she blurted out. "Whatever."

Luke appeared along with half his class from a set of double doors leading from the assembly hall. He waved to his friends.

"Come on," said Rani, nudging Clyde. "Luke's here. Let's go."

They joined their friend across the playground.

"Alright, Luke-y boy?" hollered Clyde.

His friend shrugged. He showed Clyde his homework.

"I've got to finish all this for Monday morning," he replied. "Looks like I won't be joining you this evening."

It was clear Luke was down. Clyde didn't wish to make the situation any worse for him.

"Well there's always the weekend?" he said, in response.

Luke looked up and smiled.

"Yeah," agreed Rani. "Work is more important. We'll do something over the weekend."

Luke nodded and he and his friends went separate ways. Luke was off home and Clyde and Rani off gallivanting.

They were going to the cinema in the high street. Luke had meant to join them but had received home work due in the next day.

"It's a shame," said Rani, as she and Clyde discussed Luke.

"That's the way it goes," smirked Clyde.

Reaching the cinema, Rani entered first followed by Clyde. After paying for their tickets, the pair entered a dark room with dimmed lights. They found a seat at the back of the room, trying not to disturb the other people. There were three seats, only Luke wasn't present.

"It's a bit quiet in here," whispered Clyde. "I thought it would be busy."

Suddenly the screen flickered and the lights switched off. The screen was showing a strange object spinning uncontrollably, getting bigger until filling the room.

"Is this in 3D?" asked Rani.

Clyde shook his head. He reached for the tickets and glared at them. The film title had disappeared. He looked up, staring in disbelief at what he was seeing. The object spinning towards him was the TARDIS.

"Do you know what that is?" he said, gob smacked. He couldn't believe his own eyes.

"It's the Doctor!" declared Rani. "What's the Doctor doing at the cinema?"

The TARDIS crashed through the screen itself startling the audience in the front row. The doors swung open and a man fell out. Clyde and Rani were already climbing down from their seats to greet him.

He was lying on the floor in front of a terrified crowd. Clyde and Rani were now at his side. He looked up at them and frowned.

"Sorry," he said, calmly. "I'm the Doctor." He then paused and stared at the two people. "Don't I know you?"

Clyde and Rani exchanged looks of total disbelief.

"Tell me," said the Doctor, not waiting for an answer. "You came to see a film that wasn't showing. Why?"

"It's Friday night," answered Rani. "We always visit the cinema on a Friday."

"And what was it you came to see?" asked the Doctor.

Neither could come up with an answer.

"Someone's got a lot of explaining to do…" he stressed.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Cinema**

**Written by Nathan Mullins**

**Previously in Chapter 1:**

"Tell me," said the Doctor, not waiting for an answer. "You came to see a film that wasn't showing. Why?"

"It's Friday night," answered Rani. "We always visit the cinema on a Friday."

"And what was it you came to see?" asked the Doctor.

Neither could come up with an answer.

"Someone's got a lot of explaining to do…" he stressed.

**Chapter 2:**

How did you end up here?" asked Rani, helping the stranger up.

"I was aboard the TARDIS," he said, "when it happened."

Clyde could still feel the Artron energy twitching in the palm of his hand.

"This isn't the reason why?" he wondered, showing the Doctor his hand.

"No," he said. "Just a freak effect of my being here, I'm afraid."

The cinema audience were being led to a safe area by security.

"Aren't they going to ask questions, about you and the TARDIS?" whispered Rani.

"They've no need," replied the Doctor. "What they saw was all part of the movie experience. They won't say a word."

The Doctor looked around the now well lit room. He then realised where he was.

"This is a cinema, isn't it?" he announced, before suddenly remembering where he was. "I've always wanted to go to the cinema. There's so much to do and so much choice. And the best bit…" he said, hopping and skipping around, "is it's all left up to you."

Clyde and Rani began to laugh.

"Except when the movie you came to see is interrupted by a big blue box," joked Clyde.

"I can explain," said the Doctor. "The movie you came to see wasn't showing. It's why I'm here."

"Okay…" said Clyde, trying to get his head around the situation. "But tell me this," he said, afterwards. "How did you find yourself here?"

"The TARDIS spun uncontrollably into a bright light. Suddenly I realised I was caught in a time eddy – like a fly in spider's web, unable to break free."

"You were coming towards us at incredible speed," replied Rani. "We thought, at first, that it was part of the film, but unusually…there were no adverts to begin with."

"Which, you're right, is very odd," he whispered. "I mean, what with me arriving and there being no adverts is very, very strange. Do you want to know why it's very strange?"

"Tell us," said Clyde.

"The film you originally came to see…" he explained.

"What was it, from memory?"

"Uh…I don't know," mumbled Clyde.

"Poor memory," hissed Rani.

"Poor memory," wondered the Doctor, "or Intentional forgetfulness?"

"You mean someone made him forget purposefully? Why?"

Clyde looked at Rani and frowned.

"Because what you came to see is now happening right now," whispered the Doctor.

The lights blew and shattered and they were in the dark once more.

"The film you came to see," confessed the Doctor, "was called 'Dark House'.

"But how can we be in the film, or the house, or any of it?" wondered Clyde.

"Because none of this is really what you thought," explained the Doctor. "This isn't a cinema."

**To be continued… **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Cinema**

**Written by Nathan Mullins**

**Previously in Chapter 2:**

"The film you came to see," confessed the Doctor, "was called 'Dark House'.

"But how can we be in the film, or the house, or any of it?" wondered Clyde.

"Because none of this is really what you thought," explained the Doctor. "This isn't a cinema."

**Chapter 3:**

Luke was at home catching up with his studies on the sofa. His mum was baking in the kitchen and called to him from time to time.

"Why didn't you go out with your friends tonight, Luke?"

She stopped in the doorframe of the living room.

"I've got a lot of work to finish for Monday morning," he sighed.

His mum shrugged and turned about. From the kitchen, she called, - "you should have gone. Childhood goes so fast."

He put his books down and switched the television set on.

Sarah wandered back in. In her hands was a tray and on it some cakes. She had prepared them earlier.

Luke hovered around them, deciding which to have first.

"Take your pick," said Sarah, putting them down on a table.

The news appeared on the TV, distracting them both. On it was where Luke had meant to have been were it not for his studies.

"Mum," he said, quickly. "Look!"

His mum sat with him on the sofa.

"Isn't that where your friends have gone?" she asked.

Luke nodded.

"I'll turn it up," he said, increasing the volume.

The news reader stood outside the cinema giving his report.

"There was an explosion," he said. "The audience ducked for cover as a blue box swung towards them from out of the cinema screen. Nobody was hurt."

Luke turned to his mum in utter astonishment.

"You know what that means," he said, awestruck.

"Yes," pondered Sarah.

"It's the Doctor," said Luke. "The Doctor's here."

He jumped up off the sofa.

"Come on!" he said, darting about, pulling on his coat. "We've got an appointment with the Doctor!

* * *

Clyde and Rani couldn't believe what they were hearing. Yet they knew what the Doctor had told them was the truth. They just didn't want to hear it. It had supposed to have been a quiet night out with friends, and instead it had turned into this. But neither were complaining.

"So you're trying to tell us that the cinema we've been going to for years has always been this? A sinister alien world we knew nothing about?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"No," he answered. "Not in all the years you've been coming here. Just in recent weeks…"

"But why this cinema in particular?" asked Rani.

"Perhaps because you're both targets," the Doctor informed them.

"Us?" bellowed Clyde. "Why?"

"Because of your association with Sarah," he replied. "Not that I like to admit it but you're all in danger. This thing, whatever it is has been hiding away in the darkness for a while. It's been waiting all this time to get things going its way and now it has you where it wants you, things can finally get under way."

**To be continued… **


	4. Chapter 4

**The Cinema**

**Written by Nathan Mullins**

**Previously in Chapter 3:**

"You're both targets!" the Doctor informed them.

"Us?" bellowed Clyde. "Why?"

"Because of your association with Sarah," he replied. "This thing, - whatever it is, has been hiding away in the darkness for a while and now it has you where it wants you, things can finally get under way."

**Chapter 4:**

Sarah was gearing up for the ride of her life. Luke buckled up beside her.

"Hold on tight," she said, as she reversed from her drive. Next minute, she was away.

The car sped along with the pair racing to the scene. Their friends were in danger.

"What had they gone to see?" asked Sarah. "Anything interesting?" she wondered.

"Something I wouldn't go and see, personally," replied Luke. "It was called Dark House."

Sarah was curious. She began to ask questions. The first of which was…

"What's it about?"

"A man unlike any other," mumbled Luke, as though thinking about it terrified him.

"Does he have a name?"

Luke shook his head.

"It's not thought so, no. But he's insane," he murmured. "He's obsessed with a strange man."

Sarah stopped the car, pulling up sharp. She turned to Luke and whispered, - "Not the Doctor?"

* * *

The Doctor was eager to explore. He was ready for adventure. Interested in all things and fascinated by everything, except…the waiting.

"Who do you think's behind this?" he asked Rani. "You're a wannabe journalist, - they look into things. Does anyone spring to mind?"

Rani wasn't sure.

"Well it's hardly the Slitheen," said Clyde. "This isn't their style."

"Then who do you think's behind this?" wondered the Doctor.

"Dunno," he replied. "It could be anyone."

"Sarah would know," muttered the Doctor. "If only she was here…"

"Yes," hissed a voice. "If only as you say…it were just me and her."

Rani sat up.

"Who's there?" yelled Clyde.

"You know me…" it, whatever it was, hissed.

"How?" responded the Doctor, pulling out his sonic screw driver. "Who or what are you?"

A man emerged from the darkness. He was old. His hair was grey. But his eyes were glowing red. He stared back at the Doctor and replied, - "I am no one!"

Clyde and Rani exchanged looks of fear and dread.

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Cinema**

**Written by Nathan Mullins**

**Previously in Chapter 4:**

_A man emerged from the darkness. He was old. His hair was grey. But his eyes were glowing red. He stared back at the Doctor and replied, - "I am no one!"_

_Clyde and Rani exchanged looks of fear and dread._

**Chapter 5:**

That's right!" yelled Luke, emerging from the double doors of the screening room. "You have no name."

The Doctor spun around to find Sarah close behind her son.

"Doctor…" she said, frozen to the spot. "It's been so long…"

"My Sarah Jane!" replied the Doctor, rushing to give her a hug.

"Enough of this!" ordered the old man, stepping between the two. He gazed up the steps towards Sarah and shrieked, - "So you have come at last!"

"You mean… this was a trap?"

"Yeah, sorry," mumbled Clyde, as he pushed past the olden. He wandered up the steps to greet his friends.

"Tell me, Luke…" whispered the Doctor, as he climbed quickly up the steps. "How were you to know who he," pointing at the old man, "was?"

"The boy knows what I am," hissed the stranger.

"But I don't understand how!"

Sarah piped up and explained.

"The film Luke and his friends had planned to see was called 'Dark House' about a strange man. That man being the stranger with the glowing red eyes stranding before you."

It was all beginning to make sense.

"You're just an idea!" declared the Doctor. "You haven't a name because you don't really exist. I should have known!"

"What?" asked Rani, she too only just beginning to realise what was going on. "If he's just an idea," she went on. "How can he be standing there?"

The Doctor turned from Rani in the direction of the old man.

"Because Rani…" he began, - "someone or something has trapped us. They're using the film you came to see to show us what they can do. If they can create something around an idea, they can do so much more."

Rani didn't like the sound of that. The Doctor took a deep breath and stepped forward into the path of the stranger. He crossed through him as though he wasn't really there.

"You see," said the Doctor. "We're fighting no one."

Sarah rushed forward to see for herself. The old man had vanished.

"But you didn't do anything?" she said, utterly confused by what had happened.

"I didn't need to," he answered. "He trapped us. His work was complete."

"What do you mean?" asked Clyde. "Are you saying it's not over?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying Clyde, yes."

**To be continued…**


End file.
